. >> airlines have canceled or delayed hundreds of flights causing travel problems around the u.s. dean reynolds is in libertyville, illinois north of chicago. dean, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, charlie and norah. the storm seems to be tapering off a bit after dropping about three to four inches of snow around here but that was more than enough to create plenty of problems. as the wintry storm blew across illinois, its impact was painfully easy to describe. >> freezing and blowing, terrible cold. >> reporter: overnight traffic crawled to a near standstill here as the snow began to fall stranding some cars. it's part of the same massive system that crippled kansas. parts of that state got nearly a foot and a half of snow and that's not all. mix of thunder and lightning made for an unusual weather event called thunder snow. across the midwest, icy, snowy roads created treacherous driving conditions. >> you can't see the road. ice, it's dangerous. >> reporter: on one slick road a mini van slid directly into a stoplight before the giant pole came crashing down and in